Research Articles (Historical and Heritage Studies)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/2620

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Poor whites in novel history : bridging the research-fiction dichotomy
(South African Society of Cultural History, 2024-12) Pretorius-Nel, Sian Eve
ENGLISH : In South Africa, the term “poor white” dominated much of the academic, media and leisure spheres for the better part of the twentieth century. In this article, the use of realist novels as historical sources is examined within the South African context and the poor-white problem. It specifi cally considers the different types of poor whites identifi ed by the Carnegie Commission and compares them to the characters and their daily lives in a fi ctional novel, Bywoners by Jochem van Bruggen. This comparison augments the existing and rather stereotypical idea of what a poor white is, but also adds fl esh and voice to the offi cial defi nitions and categories, making history come alive. It shows that the realist novel is, in a sense, a refl ection of social conditions and context. It resembles the holding up of a mirror to society and refl ecting what was happening on the pages. As such, this novel is an example of how fi ction can be embraced for a better understanding of the past.
Changing representations of the boeredogter trope in selected Afrikaans films on the South African war
(South African Society of Cultural History, 2024-12) Verkerk, Domonique-Marie
ENGLISH : This article, based on selected Afrikaans ﬁlms on the South African War (alsoknown as the Anglo-Boer War) explores an aspect that has been overlooked namely,the Boeredogter [Boer daughter] trope. The article aims to establish whether theBoeredogter trope in selected Afrikaans-language ﬁlms changed between the1930s and the 2000s, and what inﬂuenced these changes. The Afrikaans ﬁlmswere chosen because they focus on the South African War – an important event inAfrikaner history. The South African War led to feminist tropes (such as the twintropes of the Volksmoeder [mother of the nation] and the Boeredogter) in Afrikanernationalism. Data was collected through watching and transcribing the verbatimof the following selected Afrikaans-language ﬁlms, namely: Sarie Marais (1931),Sarie Marais (1949), Voor sononder (1962), and two episodes of the televisionseries Donkerland (2013). The data were analysed through content analysis withinthe framework of Feminist theory and interpreted using the Afrikaner feministlens. The article found that the Boeredogter trope has changed over time, reﬂectingthe evolving values, gender roles, and morals of Afrikaner society. This study haspractical applications in understanding the representation of Afrikaner women inmedia and the evolution of gender roles and values in Afrikaner society. It canalso inform media producers and creators on how to portray Afrikaner women ina more nuanced and accurate manner.
The creation of a Polish community in the Vaal Triangle, South Africa 1980-1989
(AOSIS, 2025-02) Van Ingen-Kal, Michaela; Macqueen, Ian; ian.macqueen@up.ac.za
During the 1980s, amid a domestic crisis, almost a million Poles left their homeland, fleeing a failing socialist economy and a repressive regime. The majority settled in Western Europe, Scandinavia and the United States of America, but some elected to relocate to South Africa. Drawing on Everett Lee’s ‘push and pull theory’, firstly, this article examines factors influencing the migration of Poles to South Africa. Secondly, it examines the formation of a Polish community in the Vaal Triangle and the importance of religion in consolidating the community and preserving a sense of Polish culture. By focussing on the Vaal Triangle during the 1980s, an area that attracted a proportionally higher number of Polish immigrants than other parts of the country, the article addresses the significance of its state industries as a magnet for skilled immigrants. CONTRIBUTION : The article draws on South African newspaper coverage of Poland’s crisis as a comparative lens, together with interviews with members of the Polish community in South Africa and archival research.
Transgressing Kamuzu Banda : the Rotberg affair and the suppression of historical research in newly Independent Malawi
(Routledge, 2024-12) Marmon, Brooks; eb.marmon@up.ac.za
This article explores Malawi officialdom’s assault against an American historian, Robert Rotberg. Rotberg cultivated a close relationship with Malawian leader Hastings Kamuzu Banda during the final years of that nation’s liberation struggle, but abruptly found himself cast as an enemy of the newly independent nation. He incurred Banda’s wrath primarily due to a postscript in his pioneering 1965 account of anti-colonial politics in Malawi and Zambia, The Rise of Nationalism in Central Africa. The book was banned, and Rotberg was declared persona non grata in Malawi. His research conduct was cited as one of the primary grounds for the extended closure of the National Archives of Malawi in 1967–68. This account of official Malawi’s displeasure with Rotberg illustrates the dynamics that played out as Africa’s decolonization spurred a surge of academic interest in African area studies during the 1960s. Africa’s post-colonial leaders were aware that the immediate post-independence period was formative. This effort to shape the parameters of historical and scholarly discourse denoted the extent of the Malawian regime’s determination to both assert its contemporary authority and frame its legacy.
The role of city parks in creating ‘wellbeing societies’ : a case study of Piłsudski Park in Łódź, Poland
(Lodz University Press, 2025-04) Smith, Melanie Kay; Kowalczyk-Anioł, Joanna; Janiszewski, Jakub; Grabarczyk, Karolina
This article examines the role of urban green spaces (UGSs) and city parks in fostering wellbeing among urban residents. UGSs are increasingly being recognized for their contribution to public health, mental wellbeing and social cohesion, and this research fills a gap in the understanding of these benefits in the context of Central and Eastern European cities. The current study presents research on the motivations, patterns of use, chosen activities and wellbeing benefits of visiting the largest city park in Łódź: Marshal Józef Piłsudski Park. The research utilizes a questionnaire-based survey of 238 park users to explore patterns of park use, motivations for visiting and perceived wellbeing benefits. Findings reveal that physical activities, such as walking, are the primary motivation for park visits, while mental benefits like relaxation and stress reduction are highly valued outcomes. Although social interactions are rated lower overall, they are particularly significant for younger and older users, as well as marginalized groups such as unemployed individuals. The study also highlights the role of proximity and the frequency of visits in amplifying wellbeing benefits. Despite the park’s evolving infrastructure, aligning with modern trends, passive recreational activities dominate usage patterns. The research underscores the potential of urban parks to address health and social challenges, advocating inclusive and participatory urban planning. These findings contribute to the broader discourse on sustainable urban development and the creation of ‘wellbeing societies’ through urban green spaces.
Pushing the envelope : downturns, wrong directions and additional avenues
(Historical Association of South Africa (HASA), 2024-05) Harris, Karen Leigh; karen.harris@up.ac.za
This article takes a rather unorthodox approach for a presidential address at an academic conference. It looks beyond the windows of the ivory tower to take cognisance of what lies outside the walls of academia to engage with what is really happening and what really matters. It is indeed a case of pushing the envelope - going beyond the limits of what is regarded as the norm and acceptable - and in so doing suggests ways in which we can manoeuvre our discipline to consider embracing a different approach regarding where we are at. While historical research is at the core of what we do and is in effect what keeps our academic institutions afloat, it cannot and must not be an end in itself. What I argue for is that we take account of the situation we find ourselves in in terms of our South African university community and by that, I mean our student cohort, and reflect upon what it is we can and need to do. The article reflects on the downturns, considers the wrong directions and proposes additional avenues.
The consequences of the Cold War for the ANC
(Routledge, 2024-02) Simpson, Thula; thula.simpson@up.ac.za
No abstract available.
Bring the objects out of the basement! : the Wellcome African collection at Manchester Museum
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology Press, 2025-03) Chipangura, Njabulo; Everest, Sophie; Hawkins, Abigail; Chipangura, Patricia; Mashizha, Raymond
Manchester Museum (MM), like most museums caring for works from Africa, includes objects with some provenance, but many others that have no collection information at all. MM holdings include more than 300 anthropological objects from Africa that came from the Wellcome Historical Medical Museum (WHMM) dispersal in 1982. The museum is part of the University of Manchester and contains approximately 15,000 African cultural heritage objects that were collected at the height of colonization and wholly connected to the expansion of the British empire to Africa. Further, there are more than 1,000 objects from Africa that are not provenanced. These unprovenanced objects do not have any contextual information on where they were collected, apart from labels that only indicate “Africa?” The accompanying question mark on these labels is problematic—and is testament to absent provenance information. Typically, this shows colonial appropriating practices in which collectors did not prioritize context and communities of origin where these objects were made.
Exploring a process-relational approach to qualitative research methods for sustainability science
(Wiley, 2024-08) García, María M.; Abunge, Caroline; Bandeira, Salomão O.; Cheupe, Christopher; Combane, Dadivo J.; Daw, Tim; O’Neill, Elizabeth M.D.; Hertz, Tilman; Mubai, Marlino Eugenio; Muthiga, Nyawira; González, Taís S.; Shauri, Halimu
As sustainability scientists increasingly put forward the relevance of process-relational approaches to make sense of social-ecological phenomena, an inquiry on which methods would fit a process-relational approach is necessary. This paper discusses how a process-relational approach can be applied to traditional qualitative research methods, namely interviews and coding and the tensions associated with it. Process-relational perspectives share commonalities with interpretative approaches but also present specific characteristics, such as the importance of material aspects and the understanding of the phenomenon as a moment in which different elements become defined respective to each other. The paper uses data and researchers' experiences from an action research project seeking to support collective action among coastal communities affected by environmental changes in Kenya and Mozambique.
When South Africa tried to make Zimbabwe its fifth province : settler colonial interests and legacies of the 1922 Rhodesian referendum
(Routledge, 2023) Nyamunda, Tinashe
This article is an introduction to a special issue on the hundred year scholarly reflections on the Rhodesian referendum and subsequent attainment of Responsible Government status. Foregrounded by an assessment of factors that led to the 1922 referendum, what follows examines new themes about the implications of Southern Rhodesia's settler state. A product of a workshop hosted by the University of Pretoria in 2023, the article introduces the studies carried in the special issue. It also points to possible new themes for future research on citizenship, state and economy-making that new research could explore.
Britse Intelligensiediens tydens die AngloBoereoorlog, 1899–1902
(Suid Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns, 2024-12) Pretorius, Fransjohan; fransjohan.pretorius@up.ac.za
This study investigates the role played by the British Military Intelligence Division and more specifically, its subdivision, the Field Intelligence Department, in South Africa during the Anglo-Boer War of 1899–1902. It starts with a brief overview of the sound work done by this division prior to the war. In 1896, an important new dispensation dawned with the appointment of Maj.-Gen. Sir John Ardagh as Director of Military Intelligence. Despite a limited budget the Military Intelligence Division did excellent work. Between 1896 and 1899 it prepared twelve reports with a view to the possibility of war in South Africa. The highlight of this preparatory work was the publication of a guide, Military notes on the Dutch republics of South Africa. The role played by the Field Intelligence Department (South Africa) in the defeats suffered by the British during “Black Week” (10 to 15 December 1899) next receives attention, as does the heavy storm of criticism that erupted in Britain over “Black Week”. This criticism of the Military Intelligence Division is largely unwarranted. Given its lack of funds and authority within the War Office it accomplished much, notably its accurate findings on the number of Boers liable for military service, the number and types of Boer armaments and the intentions of the Boer military leaders. There was indeed an initial lack of accurate mapping of the probable operational area. However, in the last eighteen months of the war the Topographical Section issued several maps, based on existing maps and reconnaissance, compiled for the most part by intelligence officers of the various columns. When Lord Roberts replaced Gen. Sir Redvers Buller as commander-in-chief of the British troops in South Africa in January 1900, intelligence improved dramatically. The Boers’ guerrilla warfare from the mid-1900s forced Roberts to apply counter-guerrilla tactics and split his force into smaller mobile units to gain better intelligence about Boer assaults. Between February 1901 and the end of the war on 31 May 1902, Lt.-Col. David Henderson the Director of the Field Intelligence Department (South Africa) made an important contribution to the effectiveness of the intelligence system. He divided the operational area into four districts – the Transvaal, Orange River Colony, the Cape Colony south of the Orange River, and Kimberley. These districts were then subdivided into sub-districts. A staff officer was placed in charge of each and was given the responsibility of collecting information on the enemy in his sub-district. It was his duty to supply the columns with interpreters, guides, scouts and maps. He also had to pass on relevant information received from his own agents, from columns in adjoining districts, and from headquarters in Pretoria. The staff officer was also required to send a telegraph to Henderson on Sunday evenings, providing a weekly summary of the situation in his sub-district. Where did the Field Intelligence Department (South Africa) get its information other than from its own scouts? It is clear that some Boers acted as British spies and there is also evidence that black people provided the department with information. An important source on intelligence activity was the private diaries and other documents that were confiscated from Boer prisoners of war. The point also made is that even when scouts gained valuable intelligence, problems arose with communication and this caused operations to fail. During the guerrilla phase the number of people working for the Field Intelligence Department (South Africa) increased dramatically, largely because the independent units now had their own intelligence officers. The department did good work in South Africa, but the Boer intelligence system was so efficient that they were able to out manoeuver the British troops, even when the Field Intelligence Department (South Africa) had accurate intelligence of their strength and disposition. In conclusion, two diaries taken from Boer prisoners of war that were translated by the Intelligence staff are analysed to determine their possible value for British intelligence.
The medical life of William Anderson Soga in late nineteenth-century Britain and South Africa
(Royal Society, 2025-04) Chetty, Suryakanthie; chetty.s@up.ac.za
William Anderson Soga is considered the first indigenous Western-educated medical doctor in the region that would become South Africa. As a medical missionary he epitomized the union of medicine and religion to promote ‘civilization’. This paper explores the world inhabited by the Sogas which comprised the ‘traditional’ and the ‘modern’, progress, conflict and conquest. It seeks to contextualize the figure of William Anderson Soga in late nineteenth-century South Africa and uses as a case study Soga’s thesis on the Bomvana as a means of understanding his own position as a figure of mixed heritage during a period when Western ‘civilization’ was unequivocally harnessed to the narrative of progress. Soga’s analysis of the health and indigenous healing practices of the Bomvana spanned the fields of medicine and ethnography, with a focus on the role of the environment, an environment that was rapidly changing owing to modernization. While Soga explicitly advocated Western medical practices, his thesis was nevertheless an attempt to record aspects of indigenous culture as they were being eroded by the pervasive influence of Western knowledge systems. Finally, this paper addresses the intellectual influences that underpinned Soga’s analysis, demonstrating the ambiguous legacy of modernity.
South Africa, 1994 + 30 : a conversation about history after apartheid
(Cambridge University Press, 2024-03) Dlamini, Jacob; Hassim, Shireen; Phillips, Laura Helen; Saunders, Chris; Simpson, Thula; Thumbran, Janeke; Magaziner, Daniel
In this wide-ranging conversation, six scholars of South Africa detail threads of continuity and change in the historiographies, popular memories, archives, research agendas, methodologies, and within the South African academy and historical professional since the end of formal apartheid in 1994.
“I have concluded that the US government will adopt a new focus in its policies towards the Government of South Africa.” President Jimmy Carter and Apartheid South Africa
(Routledge, 2024) Michel, Eddie
This article examines the shift in the bilateral relationship between the United States and South Africa that occurred during the period of the Carter administration. The White House, guided primarily by Carter’s deep commitment to humanitarian principles made a progressive transformation of South African society and the ending of racial discrimination a major foreign policy objective. Both publicly and privately the Carter administration took a tough stance against Pretoria including supporting a mandatory UN arms embargo. Ultimately, however, Carter failed in his goal of dismantling apartheid and his opposition to commercial sanctions led to a deepening of economic ties between Washington and Pretoria. His administration was also unable to stop South Africa from joining the nuclear club.
Electrochemical dating of archaeological gold based on repetitive voltammetry monitoring of silver/copper in depth concentration gradients
(Elsevier, 2023-07) Domenech-Carbo, Antonio; Scholz, Fritz; Brauns, Michael; Tiley-Nel, Sian; Van Bennekom, Joosje; Van Bork, Ellen; Barrio, Joaquin; Martinez-Caballero, Santiago; Oliver, Arturo; Aguilella, Gustavo; Martinez, Betlem; Domenech-Carbo, María Teresa
The use of repetitive voltammetry for dating archaeological gold objects is described. The method involves the record of the gold- silver-, and copper-related voltammetric responses obtained for metal nanosamples attached to graphite electrodes immersed into HCl electrolytes. This methodology permits to characterize different electrochemical types representative of different manufacturing techniques. Age estimates are based on the assumption that decuprification/desilvering processes advance with time under reasonably uniform conditions. Age calibration curves covering a range of ca. 2500 years were obtained from a set of archaeological samples from the Mapungubwe Gold Collection at the University of Pretoria Museums, South Africa, the Rijksmuseum of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, the Rheinische Landesmuseum Trier of Mannheim (Germany), the Museu de Belles Arts de Castelló, Spain, the Museu de Segovia, Spain, and the repository of the Servei d’Investigació Arqueològica Municipal de València, Spain.
Towards a history of xenophobia in Zimbabwe : rethinking racism and the culture of ‘othering’ in Zimbabwe, 1890-2020
(University of the Free State, 2023-12) Mlambo, Alois S.; alois.mlambo@up.ac.za
The article explores Zimbabwe’s history of racism, ethnicity, and other forms of “othering” from 1890 to 2020 and argues that, although scholars of Zimbabwe’s past have, hitherto, shied away from using the term, these pathologies amounted collectively to xenophobia. It calls on scholars of the country’s colonial history to investigate the degree to which the above pathologies were, arguably, xenophobic. The article argues that xenophobic tendencies in colonial and post-colonial Zimbabwe emanate from a number of key historical developments. These include the establishment of artificial colonial borders at the turn of the 19th century and the creation of an artificial nation-state called Southern Rhodesia, which engendered a new colonial identity that eventually crystallised into an exclusivist Zimbabwean nationalism and the divide and-rule segregationist racial colonial policies that promoted national disharmony. Also significant was the development of the settler colonial economy and its insatiable hunger for cheap African labour, which led to labour migration from neighbouring countries and the socio-economic tensions this unleashed. Last was the role of an increasingly parochial Shona nationalism, which claimed the Shona as the real owners of the land and whose proponents advanced a particularistic rendition of the past that is known in Zimbabwean historiography as “patriotic history”. The article then concludes by sketching out the various manifestations of xenophobic tendencies in the country in the period under study. The study is essentially a reappraisal of Zimbabwean history and not a product of new research and fieldwork.
A fart in the corridors of power : a socio-theological analysis of Evan Mawarire and Raymond Mpandasekwa’s activism
(AOSIS, 2023-12-26) Muzambi, Prosper; Dombo, Sylvester
#ThisFlag movement was started by Pastor Evan Mawarire in April 2016 bemoaning the collapse of the Zimbabwean economy at the hands of the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) government under President Robert Mugabe. Although it started off as accidental, it, however, galvanised disparate groups and enabled them to transform anger against the state from online media to the streets. #ThisFlag movement officially started on the 20th of April 2016, when Pastor Mawarire wearing the Zimbabwean flag posted a video to his Facebook page decrying the state of the economy and what he felt was government's neglect of its duties to serve the citizens of Zimbabwe. Although one government minister described Mawarire's actions as a 'pastor's fart in the corridors of power', the reaction by the state security agents points to the contrary. Street protests have been banned. This article interrogates the transformation of #ThisFlag movement from an online struggle to street protests that have turned violent. It also looks at other movements that are complementing #ThisFlag and how the state is responding to these protests both on the social media and on the ground. Evan Mawarire may be considered as an unusual voice from the ever mushrooming new church establishments. As such, it becomes a point of interest to find out what voice there is, which represents what is commonly viewed as mainline churches. Such a voice is identified as coming from Bishop Raymond Mpandasekwa of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Chinhoyi who in one of his sermons delivered an acerbic attack on Mnangagwa's government as a 'blood thirsty' government. The study explored the messages of Mawarire and Mpandasekwa using the socio-theological lenses as guided by Rawls' theory of civil disobedience. CONTRIBUTION : This study locates #ThisFlag activism in the context of toxic transformative politics in Zimbabwe. In addition, it contributes to our understanding of the relationship between religion and politics in an unstable political and economic setting. It calls for a re-thinking of the role of the church in Zimbabwean society and discusses the state's response to those deemed to be not towing the line. It shows that while some religious organisations and groups are too keen to be co-opted by the regime, some have effectively resisted this and have become combative as they fight for people's rights. Another important contribution is located in how these pastor-cum-activists have harnessed social media to amplify their voices and to reach huge audiences beyond the pulpit. The study is important because it contextualises the role of religion in the country's contemporary politics, and this fits into the scope of the journal in that it is a multidisciplinary study of both religion and politics.
The face of battle : the ‘fighting first’s’ baptism of fire at the Battle of Elandslaagte, 21 October 1899
(Historical Association of South Africa, 2023-11) Mouton, Dawid J.
This article investigates the experiences of the 1st Battalion of the Manchester Regiment in the Battle of Elandslaagte fought on 21 October 1899 during the South African War of 1899 to 1902. This was the Manchesters’ first battle in nearly two decades and their first against modern weapons. Studies of the experiences of ordinary British soldiers during the South African War are limited. This scrutiny of letters written by the officers and troops of the Manchesters is supplemented by accounts published in British newspapers and an unpublished letter preserved in the Manchester Regiment Archive, all of which have been used to enhance existing narratives of the battle by exploring the soldiers’ perspectives of war. The article suggests that by making use of such sources it is possible to reconstruct the British ‘face of battle’ during the South African War. These published letters have some limitations, however, and are inclined to adhere to the popular ‘Tommy Atkins’ stereotype. Exploring the battle from the Manchesters’ viewpoint reveals that even though Elandslaagte was a near perfect execution of the three-stage set-piece battle, the soldiers involved experienced a turmoil of emotions ranging from confusion, frustration, loss, pain, discomfort, and even joy.
Traditional and biomedical health practices of adolescent boys and young men living with perinatally-acquired HIV in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa
(Routledge, 2023-01) Gittings, Lesley; Colvin, Christopher; Hodes, Rebecca
Men are less vulnerable to HIV acquisition than women, but have poorer HIV-related health outcomes. They access HIV services less, and are more likely to die on antiretroviral therapy. The adolescent epidemic presents further challenges, and AIDS-related illness is the leading cause of death among adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa. We explored the health practices of adolescent boys and young men (aged 13–22) living with perinatally-acquired HIV and the processes through which these practices are formed and sustained. We engaged health-focused life history narratives (n=35), semi-structured interviews (n=32) and analysis of health facility files (n=41), alongside semi-structured interviews with traditional and biomedical health practitioners (n=14) in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Participants did not access traditional products and services for HIV, a finding that deviates from much of the literature. Findings suggest that health practices are mediated not only by gender and culture, but also childhood experiences of growing up deeply embedded in the biomedical health system.
Residents’ quality of life in smart cities : a systematic literature review
(MDPI, 2023-04) Chang, Songling; Smith, Melanie Kay; u05256209@up.ac.za
Despite its popularity in urban studies, the smart city (SC) concept has not focused sufficient attention on citizens’ quality of life (QoL) until relatively recently. The aim of this study is, therefore, to examine the concept of QoL in SCs using a systematic review of 38 recent articles from 2020–2022. This includes definitions and concepts, indicators and domains that are used to measure QoL, and the typical research methods that are used to collect data. The review analyses some of the main themes that emerge from the field of SCQoL which include smart urban governance, sustainability, smart living, participation, and social inclusion. The findings from this SC and QoL research can help city planners to prioritize which domains are the most important or meaningful for citizens and which services to invest in. It has been suggested that smart living is the most important domain of a SC. However, various studies have found that citizens experience SC initiatives holistically and that QoL is quite dependent on context in terms of priorities. Therefore, citizen participation strategies should be tailored and adapted to each respective context. SC governance also needs to be more long-term and strategic with real evidence that citizens are involved in decision making and problem solving and are not just passive recipients.

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